The slow cooker is an awesome tool for low-effort cooking, and it's great in the summer because it doesn't heat up your kitchen. An even easier way to use your slow cooker is to make convenient frozen meal packs for later in the week.

Whether you're a college student, single career builder, or parent with mouths to feed,…
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Julievr on the Babble blog us how simple this is. Just take any slow cooker (a.k.a., crock pot) recipe and put all the ingredients in a ziploc freezer bag and put it in the freezer. Then, when you're rushing some morning to get out the door, all you have to do is dump the frozen contents into the slow cooker and turn it on. When you get home, dinner is waiting for you.

Taking just an hour or two on the weekend to make a bunch of these packs (perhaps even a month's worth) can make sure you've got a proper home-cooked dinner even after hectic work days.